title: [Experience of liaison psychiatry in Morocco: transversal study over 24 months].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liaison psychiatry is a discipline caring for psychiatric disorders in patients of general hospitals. It involves clinical, educational, and research aspects. The liaison psychiatry supports patients hospitalized for full-time in medical and surgical departments, patients admitted in day-hospital and patients treated in the emergency department. In this transversal study, we assessed the liaison psychiatry impact that is still in development stage in Morocco. This study lasted 24 months, and was conducted at the University Hospital in Fez, Morocco.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders managed by liaison psychiatry, identify those requiring medical and surgical departments of such psychiatric support, and classify the motivations involved in their needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This transversal study was initiated in January 2010 and has lasted 24 months. The study recruited 180 patients requiring psychiatric consultation from different medical and surgical departments at the University Hospital in Fes, Morocco. The psychiatric assessment was based on a psychiatric interview using the MINI. The data were collected by a certified psychiatrist using a questionnaire containing 24 items. After initial psychiatric assessment, the follow-up was proposed to the patient in the psychiatric department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During this study, 22 medical and surgical departments of our University Hospital had requested a psychiatric assessment for their patients. Most demands were respectively emitted by the Department of Dermatology (16%) and Nephrology (11%). The most common motivations for psychiatric consultations were respectively psychomotor agitation (17%) and an evaluation of suicide attempts (17%). Depressive and psychotic disorders were the most diagnosed disorders with 47% and 11% respectively. The psychiatric support was based on pharmacological treatment in 60% of cases. Finally, the outcome was favourable in 80% of followed cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospitalized patients in different medical and surgical departments of the University Hospital of Fez have demonstrated a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders. This constitutes a very strong motivation to setup a department of liaison psychiatry. This would allow a better psychiatric support and follow-up of patients.
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc. Electronic address: berrimimohamed@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrimi
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elghazouani
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aarab
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tliji
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rharrabti
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lahlou
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rammouz
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, hôpital Ibn Al Hassan, CHU Hassan II, Ain Kadouss, Fès 30060, Maroc.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aalouane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014600:Utilization Review; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Liaison psychiatry; Prevalence; Prévalence; Psychiatrie de liaison